REMARKS FROM UMC PRESIDENT &
CEO JEFFREY REMEDIOS AND TORONTO MAYOR JOHN TORY, LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM
TORONTO-BASED BAND THE BEACHES

CANADA’S LEADING MUSIC COMPANY DESIGNING PHYSICAL HUB TO BENEFIT ARTIST COMMUNITY AND CITY’S CULTURAL FABRIC

18 APRIL 2017 (Toronto, ON) – Today Universal Music
Canada (UMC) President & CEO Jeffrey Remedios announced his
company’s visions for their place in the city and artist community as
they relocate to a new site at 80 Atlantic Avenue in Toronto’s Liberty
Village. Toronto Mayor John Tory offered comments of support for several
of UMC’s initiatives and Toronto-based rock quartet The Beaches
performed for the audience of industry partners, media, and UMC head
office staff. Emcee of the proceedings was Toronto’s own Kardinal
Offishall, UMC A&R executive and recording artist.
From stage adjacent to the construction site, Remedios illustrated
UMC’s visions for a major label transforming to a music-focused media
company whose address could become as rooted in Toronto’s character as
the Capitol Records tower in Los Angeles, Motown’s house in Detroit,
Chess Records in Chicago, or Factory Records in Manchester. A music
company as community hub for artists, media partners, and music
audiences. Remedios espoused the importance of creating a “sense of
place.”
“80 Atlantic will mark a new phase in the growth and evolution of
Toronto’s music community, enabling artists to fully refine their craft
here at home rather than resorting to exporting it raw for others to
finish before bringing to market,” remarked Remedios, who went on to
list features such as recording and performance facilities, retail
opportunities, and artist promotional spaces currently in the design
stages.
Remedios also introduced Toronto Mayor John Tory who, while on an
entertainment industry trade mission in Los Angeles in February of last
year, met with Remedios and Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO
Lucian Grainge to discuss the evolving role of major labels, the
benefits of designating Toronto as a Music City, and the proliferation
of exceptional, internationally-recognized musical talents emanating
from Toronto which shape culture globally. “It’s great to be here to
celebrate with Universal,” said Tory from the podium today, “and
Universal is a company that’s being innovative…this is the kind of
creativity and innovation that I want to see in every corner of
Toronto,” adding “I want to salute Jeffrey Remedios in particular, as
someone who’s been an activist, an advocate, in various contexts for the
music industry.”
Currently under construction in partnership with owner-developer
Hullmark and architectural firm Quadrangle, 80 Atlantic marks Toronto’s
first timber-frame commercial building to be built in a generation and
it will comply with our city’s progressive Toronto Green Development
standard.
UMC’s new offices will be at the heart of a culturally relevant
community, within blocks of print, online, and broadcast media partners,
music licensors and digital distributors, social media platforms,
instrument makers, and music associations – as well as being steps from
Toronto’s entertainment districts and many of its concert venues. The
move is expected to be complete in late 2018.